Appellate Court Affirms Conviction of Former Illinois Child Welfare Specialist in Preventable Death of 5 Year Old A.J. Freund

An Illinois appellate court affirmed the conviction of former DCFS worker Carlos Acosta for endangering A.J. Freund before the 5-year-old's 2019 death.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 31, 2026, 9:03 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Fox 32 Chicago

Judicial Affirmation of Professional Accountability

In a landmark ruling for child welfare accountability, a state appellate court has unanimously affirmed the criminal conviction of Carlos Acosta, a former investigator for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). The Second District Appellate Court rejected Acosta’s appeal on Monday, solidifying his 2023 conviction for endangering the life and health of a child. The court determined that Acosta, through his official capacity, held a unique duty to protect 5 year old A.J. Freund and that his failure to exercise that duty was a proximate cause of the boy’s brutal death four months after their final contact.

Documented Warnings Ignored by State Authorities

The evidence presented throughout the trial and reaffirmed in the appeal painted a haunting picture of missed opportunities for intervention. In December 2018, Crystal Lake police contacted Acosta after discovering a large, unexplained bruise on A.J.’s body. Despite this clear physical indicator and a documented history of domestic drug abuse and unsafe living conditions, Acosta chose to return the child to his mother's care. The court found that Acosta bypassed critical safety measures and failed to pursue the court intervention that could have removed the boy from the volatile environment.

The Tragic Timeline of the Freund Case

A.J. Freund was killed in April 2019, just months after the state’s investigation was closed without action. Forensic reports detailed a pattern of systemic abuse, culminating in an incident where the child was punished for an accident in his clothing. He was subjected to a 20 minute cold shower and sent to bed "cold, wet, and naked" before succumbing to brain swelling while padlocked inside his bedroom. His body was later recovered from a shallow grave near Woodstock, Illinois. The case triggered national outrage and a localized demand for reform within the state’s child protective services.